Snowed In
by Fatal Melody
Summary: To celebrate the older members of their group graduating high-school, Chinatsu is hosting a week-long vacation in her family's winter cabin! But when a freak snowstorm hits, Akari and Chinatsu get snowed in! Will they survive? Will the group get their dream vacation? And most importantly, when will Akari tell Chinatsu about the helpless crush she has on the pinkette?
1. Flying

Snowed In

By Fatal Melody

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**A/N:** Remembered an old story that doesn't exist anymore about two friends getting stuck in a cabin with a serial killer on the loose. I cannot remember what fandom it was from, or the author, but it inspired me to write this. No serial killer though. That would be too dark for something based off this series. This will be a shorter story because of this, but I will try my best to fill it with detail and feel-good moments. And to explain why I assume Chinatsu's mother is rich, she's a single mother with two kids and is never actually seen in the show. From that I can assume she works while travelling, and thus makes quite a bit of money.

Disclaimer: I do not own YuruYuri. Pony Canyon owns all distribution rights, and the manga was written by Namori.

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Chapter 1: Flying

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17-year-old Akaza Akari was excited. She and her friends had been planning this trip for months now, even asking Chinatsu's not-so-secretly-rich mother to use their cabin in the mountains of Colorado for the week.

It was Spring Break, and the last one for Yui, Kyouko, Ayano, Chitose, and Chizuru. Chizuru had finally opened up to the group when they entered High School, and joined the newly re-made Amusement Club halfway through their first year.

For the other members of the Amusement Club, this was their final chance to have a fun-filled week with their older friends. There was Summer Break, sure, but several of the older members already made plans to spend the Summer getting ready for College or with their families.

Thinking about it made Akari a bit sad, yet at the same time relieved. All of her friends had been accepted to schools close to each other, the furthest being Chizuru, who would be going to a school in Osaka in hopes of getting a degree in Nursing, much to everyone's surprise. Even Kyouko made it into a college, surprising everyone again with an acceptance letter into the Tokyo University of the Arts. Kyouko had cried that day, happier than she'd ever been in her life.

To celebrate everyone getting into their schools of choice, Chinatsu offered to host a vacation: a week-long trip to the United States.

And so here Akari was, 4:00 AM on the first day between school years, March 25th, checking her bags for everything she needed. Toothbrush, clothes, jacket, shoes, and bathroom items, including her own favorite pink towel.

Akari nodded after checking her suitcase one final time, zipping up the front and hauling the heavy thing down the stairs. Writing one final note goodbye to her sister and parents, she sat down to wait for Yui to pick her up. Being only 17, Akari couldn't drive herself, even though she had her own car: a light-red Subaru Outback given to her by her grandparents for her 17th birthday not 4 months ago.

Akari's phone buzzed, signaling that it was time to go. Once again pulling her heavy suitcase, she left her comfortable house.

Yui was waiting, sitting in her car with her phone giving a soft glow to the dark interior. Noticing movement outside her car, Yui looked up and smiled at her long-time friend, popping open the trunk to allow Akari to store her luggage.

The redhead closed the trunk, her suitcase safely secured, and opened the passenger door to slip into the low-seated sedan.

"Good morning, Yui-chan!" Akari greeted happily, voice still a little gravelly from having just woken up half an hour ago.

"Good morning, Akari-chan." Yui responded tiredly. The two settled in for the drive to the train station. There they would meet their friends and ride the Bullet train to Haneda Airport.

"So, are you excited for your last year of school?" Yui asked, teasing her younger friend.

"Yeah! I'm also really nervous, but I'll have Chinatsu-chan, Hima-chan, and Sakurako-chan, so I know everything's gonna turn out great!" Akari replied. She had finally kicked her third-person speaking habit in the previous year, doing so to appear more mature. She also grew her hair out just a little, now sitting just below her shoulders, while still keeping her signature buns. "I bet you're pretty nervous for College though, huh?" Akari asked.

Yui shook her head. "I've been living on my own for a few years now, so I'm confident I can take care of myself. Besides, I won't be too far away from everyone, so I'll be able to visit on my off days." Yui explained, smiling the whole time.

Nodding, Akari fell silent as she listened to the radio. A few good songs came on, but nothing she would consider a favorite.

The drive was quiet for a while, until Yui spoke up.

"Ne, Akari-chan?" Yui began.

"Hm?" Akari responded.

"Do you… like anyone? Surely, you've seen _someone_ cute in the last 3 years, right?" Yui asked, again teasing her younger friend.

Akari went bright red, complimenting her hair nicely. Yui giggled. "I'll take that as a yes. So, who is it?"

"U-uhm, I have no idea what you mean! I'm just Akari, everyone's friend, yup yup!" Akari replied nervously.

"Akari-chan, you can tell me. I promise I won't say a word." Yui said gently. Akari looked at her for a second, before setting her eyes forward with a gentle shine in them

"I-it's… it's Chinatsu-chan…" Akari admitted softly.

"Aw, that's adorable! You two always were good friends, huh?" Yui commented.

"Yuuiii-chaaaaan! That's embarrassing!" Akari complained. Yui giggled at her friend's antics. She'd always seen Akari as a little sister, someone she could tease jokingly. Yui loved her little family of friends.

As the duo arrived at the platform, Chinatsu, Sakurako, and Himawari all hugged Akari. The four had grown exceptionally close during their last year in middle school, having been the only 4 members of the group left in Nanamori Middle. After the group said their hellos, they broke the 4-way hug and sat down to wait with their older friends.

They didn't wait long; the train arrived not 10 minutes after Akari and Yui showed up. As the large group boarded the train, Akari felt herself getting giddy.

"What's up, Akari-chan?" Chinatsu asked her friend, her pink ponytail swaying near her shoulder blades, a style she'd kept since Freshman year started.

"I've never been to Tokyo before! It's exciting!" Akari answered, smiling, earning a giggle from Chinatsu.

As she'd told Yui, Akari indeed did have a crush on her pink-haired friend, but it wasn't any old crush. She'd had a crush on Chinatsu since Freshman year, keeping it well-hidden from her friends, and Akari was sure that it wouldn't go away anytime soon. Not that Akari was complaining: it was nice to have something to fantasize about when she had nothing to do.

Hearing Chinatsu giggle made Akari smile more, a little gentler this time.

The train ride was fairly uneventful, save the usual antics of Kyouko, earning her another addition to the countless number of head-slaps Yui had given her in the past.

As the group arrived at the airport, Akari stared up at the large building in awe. She'd never been on a plane before, having never left the country of Japan.

Everyone grabbed their luggage from the train and headed inside, tagging their suitcases and making their way over to security. By now it was 7 in the morning, and everyone was wide awake. They got through the security check and headed to their terminal. The group had some time to kill, their flight to Denver International leaving at around 9:45, so they split up into smaller groups and checked out the gift shops. Kyouko went with Ayano and Chitose, Chizuru tagging along with Himawari and Sakurako, while Yui stuck with Akari and Chinatsu.

Thankfully Chinatsu had gotten over her "Yui-senpai" phase during her last year of middle school, now referring to her raven-haired friend simply as Yui-chan (Akari had been quite relieved at this, though at the time she didn't quite know why).

"So how was your drive?" Chinatsu asked her friends.

"It was good. Peaceful, as you'd expect for four in the morning." Yui chuckled. Akari was thankful that she didn't bring up their little chat, thus keeping her promise.

"What about you, Chinatsu-chan?" Akari asked.

"It was… interesting…" Chinatsu sighed. She'd been unlucky enough to be stuck with Kyouko for an entire half-hour. "She wouldn't stop asking if I had a crush on somebody, no matter how many times I tried to say no or change the subject." She said, clearly annoyed with their blonde friend. Akari giggled.

"Kyouko-chan is just like that. She won't stop until she hears what she wants." Yui sighed.

"Don't have to tell me that twice." Chinatsu lamented, frowning.

"Aw, cheer up Chinatsu-chan! You don't have to sit with her on the flight!" Akari suggested.

"Heh, you're right, Akari-chan! I get to sit with you instead!" Chinatsu said, smiling. Akari blushed, having totally forgotten that she was seated next to her crush.

A small shop caught Akari's eye. "Hey, let's check that one out!" She said, pointing.

The shop in question was a small store, filled with entertainment goodies. Headphones, earbuds, books, even download codes for popular movies. "Good eye, Akari-chan!" Yui said, picking up a few books she'd been meaning to read. Chinatsu picked up a spare set of cheap earbuds, just in case. Akari grabbed a digital copy code for one of her favorite movies, _Spirited Away_.

"Ooh, nice choice!" Chinatsu commented after looking over Akari's shoulder at the card she'd grabbed.

"A classic for sure." Yui chimed in.

"How about this one, too?" Chinatsu asked, holding up another code-card, this one with the title _How to Train Your Dragon_.

"Oh, I've heard of this one!" Yui commented again. "It's an American film, and supposedly it's very good. I heard they just finished up the trilogy last year." She explained.

Chinatsu nodded, stacking her choice with her replacement earbuds and a music CD she'd been wanting to get. "Alright, lets get these movies downloaded then!" Chinatsu exclaimed, walking over to the cashier with a skip.

After paying for their things, the trio started walking back to their gate. On the way, they saw Himawari and Sakurako on a bit of an impromptu date at a small café, the two having finally confessed to each other during Freshman year. They still bantered, but that was just part of their dynamic. They never got into any serious fights over anything, and both had been happier ever since they'd started going out. Himawari had even managed to get Sakurako to start studying, an event many thought would bring about the apocalypse. She never revealed how she got her girlfriend to study, but after every long study session she'd come to school wearing a scarf.

The trio wondered where Chizuru was, since she had gone with those two to begin with. They found their answer as they got back to their gate, finding the green-eyed Ikeda twin guarding the bags of Sakurako and Himawari, reading a book.

"Hi Chizuru-chan!" Akari greeted, holding a hand up. Chizuru looked up from her book, said a quiet 'hello', and went back to reading. The trio sat down, Yui cracking open one of her own new books while Chinatsu and Akari set off on downloading their movies.

There they all sat, waiting for their plane. Over time, the others of the group of nine came to join them, each with their own device to keep them busy.

Another hour passed. They had all rotated through the bathroom, and Akari was starting to get bored of her mobile game, having gotten the base mechanics rather quickly.

Just as Akari's boredom was starting to become unbearable, the plane was led into the gate and the passengers were let off. A jolt of excitement shot through her chest, the idea of flying to an entirely different part of the world making her giddy once again.

The rest of the group soon noticed that it was nearing the time to get on, and started to pack their things back into their carry-ons. After a few minutes, the staff at the desk started calling classes for boarding. The group had gotten business-class, thanks to Chinatsu's mother, and all shuffled into the line together after first-class had boarded.

As they boarded the plane, Akari couldn't stop smiling. Chinatsu giggled at how excitable her friend was.

The group all took their seats and buckled in; Chinatsu and Akari were on the left, Yui, Himawari, and Sakurako were in the middle three seats, Ayano and Kyouko were on the right, and Chitose and Chizuru sat just behind Akari and Chinatsu.

"_Hello everyone, and good morning! I hope you all get comfortable back there, because this non-stop flight will be 10 hours and 20 minutes from Tokyo International Haneda to Denver International. We're expecting clear skies, and we'll be cruising at 10 and a half kilometers. We'll be arriving at around 5 in the morning, so try to get a good nap in! We hope you enjoy your onboard entertainment, and enjoy your flight with us!" _ the captain said over the intercom.

After going through the safety procedures, Akari felt the plane shift. It was being dragged around on the runway, a small yet powerful truck pulling the 300 metric-ton monstrosity out to where it could taxi itself to the runway.

Chinatsu handed Akari a piece of gum, which Akari took with a confused expression. "Chew on it when we take off, it helps pop your ears." Chinatsu said with a smile. Akari nodded and smiled back.

As the plane stopped on the runway, Chinatsu leaned over and asked quietly, "You ready? We're about to take off."

Akari nodded excitedly. She didn't know what she was expecting, but she assumed it would be fun.

Oh, how wrong she was.

At first, Akari felt the exhilaration of the plane accelerating to almost 300km/h over the course of a few seconds, and then the liftoff. At first, it felt amazing, like she was being pulled upwards. Then the wind drafts came.

On the first bump, Akari's expression immediately fell. The next few had her absolutely terrified. On reflex, she clutched the nearest thing she could, which just so happened to be Chinatsu's hand. After another few jolts, Akari loosened her grip, hearing Chinatsu chuckle.

"It's ok, Akari-chan. That happens every time! It's totally normal." Chinatsu reassured her scared friend, who began to calm down. "Oh, and start chewing that gum. Your ears are gonna hurt soon if you don't."

Akari let go and did as she was told, popping the fruity gum in her mouth, savoring the taste.

"What is this? It's good!" Akari commented, back to her usual peppy self. Chinatsu's response was to hold up a packet labeled 'Strawberry Blast'. Akari mentally noted the gum, wanting to buy some when they came back.

"Ne, Akari-chan, look! We're over the ocean!" Chinatsu said, leaning back from the window so Akari could see, leaning slightly over Chinatsu.

Outside was one of the most incredible views Akari had ever seen, the sparkling blue coast of Japan stretching for miles. "Wow…" Akari breathed. Suddenly, she was aware of her position, leaning over her crush. She could very lightly feel Chinatsu's breath on her neck, and immediately blushed and leaned back into her chair. "S-sorry, Chinatsu-chan. I didn't mean to get in your personal space like that…" Akari said embarrassedly.

Chinatsu giggled. "It's ok, really." Chinatsu smiled at her friend.

The two talked for a while until the plane leveled out and the seatbelt indicator turned off. Chinatsu unbuckled and stretched, making what Akari could only describe as a cute mewling sound as she relaxed back into her seat.

"What do you want to watch first?" Chinatsu asked, turning on her movie-screen. There were a few good shows in the plane's database.

"How about that one?" Akari pointed at a show about ordinary students at a high school, but everything was made to be overly dramatic. They watched the show for a while, until the drinks cart came down the aisle.

"Anything I can get you two?" the flight attendant asked.

"Can I have a water?" Akari asked. The flight attendant nodded and poured her a small plastic cup of ice water.

"I'll have a Professor Spice please." Chinatsu requested, the flight attendant replying with "Certainly!" and pouring out a cup of the fizzy soda, giving Chinatsu the rest of the can with the cup.

The two went back to the show they were watching, giggling at some of the characters antics.

"Ne, Akari-chan, have you ever thought about if you like boys or girls?" Chinatsu asked out of nowhere a few hours later, causing Akari to blush instantly.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Akari replied nervously.

"I don't know, I was just thinking. You've never really shown interest in anybody, so I don't know your preference. Or if you even have one." Chinatsu giggled.

"I-I guess… I like…" Akari started, trailing off in embarrassment. "G-girls." she finally answered.

Chinatsu nodded. "Figured as much, you've never said anything to the boys that try to talk to you in class." Chinatsu pointed out. The two fell into an awkward silence, which was broken by Chinatsu.

"Sorry if that was a bit weird, I was just curious. I like knowing things about my friends, you know?" Chinatsu offered a smile, which Akari returned with a nod.

After the first season of the show ended, Chinatsu looked over at Akari.

"We should watch one of those movies!" She suggested, pulling out her laptop. Setting it on the tray in front of her, she plugged in her headphone splitter, holding out one of the inputs to Akari so she could put her headphones in.

When all was done, Chinatsu booted up her movie. A few points got the girls laughing, such as the antics of Toothless, and they both enjoyed the film thoroughly. Akari especially liked the scene where Toothless learned to fly with his prosthetic wing, taking Hiccup out on a joyride.

During the final few scenes, the tension made Chinatsu scoot a little closer to Akari. She never did handle scenes like this well, where everything seemed to be going wrong for the main characters. She breathed a sigh of relief at the end scene though, seeing that everything turned out ok.

As the movie ended, Chinatsu let go of Akari's sleeve, which she hadn't even realized she grabbed during the last fight.

"That was a great one! I'll have to get the sequels sometime, maybe while we're in Colorado!" she said to her friend, who nodded and smiled at her brightly.

"Yeah, that was really good!" Akari agreed.

As Chinatsu put her laptop away, a flight attendant came by with a small card, handing one to Chinatsu and one to Akari. The card was the menu for the flight, with four options. Steak, chicken, fish, and a vegetarian option of some salad Akari had never heard of.

Another flight attendant came by a few minutes later, asking everyone what they wanted to eat. Akari chose the fish, while Chinatsu took the steak.

The two chatted idly while they waited for their food, which came by another 15 minutes later. Akari looked at the fish curiously, having never seen food served in closed plastic containers. She opened it, and found that the fish looked decent. Having only a fork, she clapped her hands softly.

"Itadakimasu!" Akari chanted before taking a bite. She wasn't disappointed, but neither was she thrilled at the taste and texture. It was just normal white fish, she had to guess it was some kind of cod from the taste. Chinatsu did the same gesture, and was equally neutral to the airplane food. Sure, she'd had better steaks before, but it certainly wasn't the worst thing she'd ever eaten.

"Ne, Chinatsu-chan, is airplane food always like this?" Akari asked. Chinatsu nodded slowly.

"Yeah, they don't really have a big budget for food since fuel costs a lot." Chinatsu explained. Akari nodded too.

After they had eaten, they handed their plastic containers to the flight attendant pushing a trash cart.

"Next movie?" Akari suggested. Chinatsu smiled and nodded.

Akari pulled her own laptop out of her bag, putting it in the middle of both trays.

"Huh, wish I'd have thought of that earlier!" Chinatsu chuckled, earning a smile from Akari.

Chinatsu plugged her splitter into Akari's laptop, and Akari started _Spirited Away_.

After the first ten minutes, Chinatsu yawned lightly, the warm food making her tired. She slowly leaned over onto Akari's shoulder, causing the redhead to jolt lightly at the unexpected contact. Akari looked over to see Chinatsu cuddle her shoulder, and got an idea.

"Ne, Chinatsu-chan, sit up for a second." Akari said, and Chinatsu did. Akari then pulled the armrest up so it was between the backs of their seats, allowing Chinatsu a more comfortable position.

"Thanks, Akari-chan." Chinatsu said tiredly. Akari giggled at her tired friend, feeling a bit tired herself. Today had been a long day, after all.

After Chinatsu put her head on Akari's shoulders, a slight blush coming off the quieter redhead, the two watched the movie quietly, enjoying the rich story it told.

About halfway through the movie, Akari felt the weight on her shoulder shift slightly, so more weight was resting on it. Looking over, she noticed Chinatsu had fallen asleep. Smiling, Akari put her head on Chinatsu's, and watched the rest of the movie.

After it ended, Akari gently reached over with her right arm to close her laptop, being very careful not to disturb her friend. After a few minutes, she too found herself embracing the realm of dreams.

* * *

Akari woke up groggily when someone poked her shoulder.

"Ne, Akari-chan, you need to put your laptop away. We're landing soon." Came the quiet voice of Yui.

Akari shifted, waking up Chinatsu, and put her laptop away.

"Buuu, and you were such a good pillow, too…" Chinatsu complained. Akari smiled lightly at that, and then stretched out, Chinatsu following soon after.

The two put their trays up and put the armrest back into its proper position. About 10 minutes later, the captain of the flight came on the intercom again.

"_Good morning everyone, we hope you had a good nap. We'll be landing soon, so please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Remember to put your trays up before we begin our descent, and make sure your seats are fully upright. The temperature in Denver is currently 6 degrees Celsius, or 43 Fahrenheit, so make sure to put on that jacket before you leave the baggage claim. We hope you enjoyed your flight, and thanks for choosing us for your flight."_

After that, the sounds of stretching and groaning filled the cabin as the passengers woke up.

Chinatsu and Akari went back to how they were for a moment, the armrest now slightly in the way but not enough to complain.

"Did you sleep well, Chinatsu-chan?" Akari asked her friend. Chinatsu nodded slowly.

"What about you, Akari-chan?" Chinatsu asked back.

"It was nice." Akari commented. Chinatsu nodded again before picking her head up once more. She leaned over to make sure all of her belongings were in her bag, and closed it when she was sure they were all there.

Akari felt the plane angle down a bit, and saw that Chinatsu was handing her another piece of gum. She took it and started chewing on it, the same strawberry flavor filling her mouth, causing Akari to smile again.

"You have a cute smile, you know that Akari-chan?" Chinatsu commented. Akari blushed lightly.

"Really, it's hard to see why you don't already have a girlfriend. You're cute, smart, and you're fun to be around." Chinatsu continued.

"I-I guess I'm just too shy for stuff like that…" Akari replied. Chinatsu nodded.

"I bet if you were more confident you could have anyone you wanted!" Chinatsu praised, smiling at her friend.

Hearing Chinatsu say that was like a shock to Akari. Was that really all she needed to do? Be more confident?

Akari nodded slowly. "Maybe… maybe I'll try that." She said to herself.

"There you go, you'll have someone in no time, just you wait!" Chinatsu encouraged.

The plane dipped slightly, and Akari jolted up in her seat. Chinatsu gently grabbed Akari's hand, knowing that her friend would be scared stiff of the descent. Sure enough, Akari gripped tight, but not enough to really hurt Chinatsu's hand.

Akari shut her eyes and focused on chewing her gum, but the small falls the plane was taking were too much for her, and she soon latched onto Chinatsu in full, grabbing her entire arm.

After a few minutes, Chinatsu leaned over. "Akari-chan, it's over. We're about to touch down." She said gently, coaxing Akari to open her eyes and let go of Chinatsu's arm.

"T-thanks, Chinatsu-chan." Akari said embarrassedly. Chinatsu giggled.

"Don't worry about it, first time is always rough." She said comfortingly.

As the plane landed and pulled into the gate, many passengers started to get up and gather their belongings. The group stayed sitting for a minute, so as to not get lost in the river of people. After it calmed down a bit, the group followed the rest and gathered their things. They exited the plane and stepped at last onto solid ground once more.

Denver International was bustling, people everywhere were shuffling to and from gates and shops, even at 5 in the morning. People in business suits, casual wear, even a few foreign people in their cultural garb. It was flowing with people, like an artery of society. The group took turns cycling through the bathroom, waiting at a café right next to the entrance.

Chinatsu, the only one to have been here before, knew vaguely where to go, so she headed the group, leading them to an underground train system. They got on, and rode the automatic train to the main building where the baggage claim was.

Akari was in awe at everything. The airport was massive! Huge art installations hung from the ceilings, long stretches of hallways with conveyor-floors, and more food places on a single corner than she thought possible. She followed her friends through the train and emerged in the main building, tons of people clamoring around trying to get their bags.

Chinatsu looked up at a board and found their flight, bringing them to Carousel 7. There they met someone with Chinatsu's name on a small board, telling them that he would guide them to their rental cars.

"Rental cars? Don't you need a license for those?" Akari asked. Chinatsu smirked and pulled out her wallet, with a United States Driver's License.

"Mom's been taking me to the States for a while now, and over the last year of visits I got this!" Chinatsu explained.

Akari was in awe of her friend, having a license to drive in an entirely different country. Her excitement was broken by a bell ringing and the carousel starting. Slowly, bags started emerging from a conveyor belt in the center of the carousel, ejecting bags onto the metal track. Akari waited behind the wall of people, trying to spot her own bag. After a few minutes, it came falling down the belt and onto the carousel.

Worming her way between the crowd, she got to the front and hoisted her bag from the track, checking the nametag to confirm it was hers. Happy that it was, she pulled it back over to her friends.

After 10 or so minutes, the rest of the group had their own bags. They followed the man with the name sign outside to the cars, two SUV's and a Sedan. The Sedan didn't have much room, and as such the group drew straws to see who went in that car. As luck would have it, both Akari and Chinatsu drew short, getting stuck with the smaller sedan.

The two girls quickly loaded their bags, taking much less time than the others. After some discussion, Chinatsu decided she'd take Akari to the cabin ahead of everyone else to make sure it was properly set up for the week. With everyone agreeing, Chinatsu and Akari set off, packed into their small car.

* * *

**A/N: **So, there's chapter 1. Longest one I've written so far. Hopefully you enjoyed, and second chapter is already being written, so it shouldn't be too long until that is up. Next chapter will have the storm in it, and the first day of Akari and Chinatsu being alone.

See you next chapter.

-Melody


	2. The Storm Rolls In

Chapter 2: The Storm Rolls In

* * *

Chinatsu and Akari got settled in their small sedan. Everyone else had packed themselves into the SUV's, bags and all.

Just as they were about to pull out of the rental lot, Akari and Chinatsu noticed one of the two SUV's shaking violently. Turning to look into the windows, the cause was revealed to be one Toshino Kyouko, being throttled by Yui and a VERY red Ayano in the back seat.

The two girls in the sedan giggled at Kyouko's antics, and Chinatsu started the car.

"Ready?" Chinatsu asked her red-haired friend, who nodded eagerly. Shifting the car into drive, Chinatsu set off out of the parking lot.

The next few hours were filled with idle chat, jokes, loud and purposely bad singing, and plenty of excited points and calls to attention from Akari.

As they drove, the landscape transformed from open grassy plains to foothills. Eventually they reached a rather large collection of peaks.

"There it is, La Veta Pass. That's where my mom's cabin is!" Chinatsu said excitedly.

"Wow, it's beautiful up here!" Akari said, looking around at all of the massive trees. Chinatsu nodded in agreement. Chinatsu made a turn off of the highway onto some backroads, leading further into the mountains.

Through twists and turns they drove, eventually ending up in front of a large cabin deep in the mountains.

"Welcome to my cabin!" Chinatsu said happily, parking the car and stopping the engine.

"It's… huge!" Akari exclaimed, getting a giggle out of Chinatsu.

"Well, let's get settled!" Chinatsu suggested, pulling her bag from the trunk. Akari soon followed suit.

* * *

Meanwhile, about 25 minutes behind them, the other two vehicles were following the GPS input Chinatsu had given them.

As Yui drove, she noticed a flashing sign. Having studied English, she could read it perfectly well. _'When flashing, turn to XXXX AM for weather alerts.'_

Yui leaned over, turned off the CD function of the radio, and flipped it to AM. She tuned it to the listed station.

"_-rado Weather Alert. The National Weather Service has issued a severe winter storm warning for the areas around the Sangre de Cristo mountains, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins. Officials warn those up in the mountains to stay inside, and for anyone traveling through to seek a different route. The National Weather Service estimates up to 50 inches of snow for the Sangre de Cristo mountains and surrounding areas, and upwards of 80 inches for Northern Colorado, especially around the Flat-irons." _A robotic voice said slowly, making it easy for the newly graduated students to understand.

Yui shut off the radio. Kyouko and Ayano looked at each other, concern on their faces. Yui then turned on her hazard lights, pulling to the side of the road and looking back to make sure Chitose, driving the other SUV, followed her.

Yui parked and opened the door, walking briskly to the other car. Chizuru had already rolled down the window.

As Yui approached, Chizuru leaned her head out. "We heard it." She confirmed. Yui nodded, a grim look on her face. "What's wrong?" the gentle twin asked.

"Chinatsu-chan and Akari-chan... They're already up there…" Yui trailed off as she looked up to the mountains ahead, dark clouds gathering over everything they could see.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. For now, we should find a hotel to stay at." Ayano suggested, having gotten out of the back of the first SUV. Yui and Chizuru nodded in agreement. Yui pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

The phone rang a few times, and then went to voicemail. Yui tried again, but this time only got voicemail.

"Damn it!" Yui said, concerned.

"What happened?" Ayano asked.

"They're out of service. Hopefully they made it up there safe…" Yui said, looking up at the mountains ahead of her.

* * *

Back at the cabin, Akari and Chinatsu had just started unloading. Akari felt a chill in the air as the wind picked up a bit, and hurriedly pulled her suitcase into the cabin.

Once inside, Akari took the time to look around in astonishment. The main room was huge! There was a large TV on one wall, and a massive, plush couch on the other side. A nicely sized coffee table stood in the middle of the carpet, which had a very nice design. A pool table sat just behind the couch, with plenty of room for players to walk around the table and a decorative chandelier above it.

The kitchen was also fairly large, with an island in the middle and several barstools surrounding it. A stainless-steel fridge was sat against a wall, and a very clean stove was on the other corner.

"Wow, this place is amazing!" Akari remarked, still in awe. Chinatsu giggled.

"You think this is cool? Just wait until you see the bedrooms!" she chuckled, leading Akari to the back of the cabin.

There were 10 guest rooms in the cabin, each one the same as the other. All of them had King size beds, their own bathroom, and even walk-in closets!

"Chinatsu-chan, this place is huge!" Akari exclaimed. Chinatsu nodded behind her with a smile.

"Well, what do you want to do first?" Chinatsu asked.

"I don't know, there's so much here!" Akari responded.

Chinatsu paused and put on a thoughtful look. After a moment, she snapped her fingers, motioning for Akari to follow her.

"We actually have a ton of games to play, too. I just remembered that we have one I know you'll like!" Chinatsu explained, leading Akari back to the couch and flipping on the TV. Pressing a few buttons, the screen changed to the home screen of the Playstation 2, and Chinatsu activated one of the wireless controllers. Handing it to Akari, she shuffled over to the stack of discs, selecting one and popping it into the system.

Akari watched as the screen transitioned into a rather odd intro sequence involving cows, pandas, and a rather odd-looking man with a ridiculous headpiece. As the intro wrapped up, the title _Katamari Damacy_ came up, and Akari was just even more confused, laughing at the insanity of the intro.

As Akari hit the start button and ran through the tutorial, a smile spread across her face.

"This is pretty fun!" Akari said, already liking the main gameplay mechanic. As she played, she started figuring out more advanced movement, turning quickly and learning how to charge up a dash. At the end of the level, Akari was hooked.

"Where did you even get this?" Akari was curious. She'd never heard of the game before.

"We picked it up when we were visiting Tokyo one day. We overheard some people talking about how fun it was and my mom picked it up because it was cheap!" Chinatsu explained. Akari nodded, already starting the second level.

She played for a while, talking with Chinatsu about fun things in the game, until she got a notification on her phone.

"Two missed calls from… Yui-chan?" Akari said curiously

"Wait, they were supposed to be here by now…" Chinatsu said. On a gut feeling, she grabbed the remote from the couch and turned the TV to cable, flipping to a news channel.

"It's reported that Highway 160 going through North La Veta Pass has already been closed in response to the coming storm. Snow has started falling on the Sangre de Cristo range, and what was previously expected to be 50 inches has now moved up to 70. Anyone in the mountains are advised to stay there, and anyone thinking of going up into the mountains will be stopped by Highway Patrol. The storm is projected to hit nearly the entire state of Colorado." The reporter said.

Chinatsu's eyes went wide. "S-seventy inches?!" she whispered to herself.

"Huh?" Akari asked, confused. Chinatsu didn't answer, instead running to the kitchen and picking up the phone, dialing a number quickly.

It rang only twice before it was picked up.

"_Hello?"_ asked the person on the other end.

"Yui-chan! Are you guys ok?!" Chinatsu asked quickly.

"_Chinatsu-chan! Oh, thank god. We've been trying to get to you guys for two hours!" _Yui answered, relief flooding over her at hearing her friend's voice. "_We're doing fine, we turned back and are staying in a hotel in Colorado Springs."_

"Oh, good. Hey, I'm sorry this happened. We all should have left together. Now you guys don't get a nice vacation up here in the cabin…" Chinatsu started lamenting.

"_It's ok, Chinatsu-chan. You're safe up there, and I'm glad that you are. We'll find our own fun down here, just stay safe!"_ Yui said, obviously worried.

"We will, and you guys better, too!" Chinatsu answered.

"_How is Akari-chan?"_ Yui asked.

"She's here with me, don't worry. We were just playing some games and saw the news. I hope the power doesn't go out…" Chinatsu worried.

"_You'll be fine as long as you're there, don't worry."_ Yui comforted.

"I was more worried about Akari-chan... I know she hates storms like this." Chinatsu mused.

"_She has you, I'm sure she'll be just f-" _Yui started, but was interrupted by a loud crash in the background.

"_KYOUKO-CHAN! Sorry, Chinatsu-chan, I have to go. Stay safe!_" Yui said hurriedly before hanging up, leaving Chinatsu to giggle at her friend's actions. The pinkette walked back over to the couch, where Akari had resumed her game.

"So what was that about?" Akari asked as Chinatsu flopped down next to her.

"Um... we're getting snowed in." Chinatsu replied, not sure how to say it.

Akari froze for a second, before pausing the game. "S-snowed in?! How much are we getting?!" the redhead asked, looking panicked.

"A-about 180 centimeters..." Chinatsu rubbed the back of her neck.

"A HUNDRED EIGHTY?!" Akari yelled.

"Hey, it's ok! We'll be perfectly safe as long as we stay inside!" Chinatsu tried to calm her friend. Akari slowly nodded at that.

"But what if the power goes out?" Akari asked, still a bit scared.

"We have a generator, so no worries. Only thing we really have to worry about is boredom." Chinatsu sighed.

The two sat there for a minute as Akari went back to her game. After the level was over, she looked over at Chinatsu.

"S-sorry for freaking out a bit there..." Akari apologized.

"It's ok, really. I know how you get with storms." Chinatsu giggled, causing Akari to blush.

The two sat there for a while, idly chatting as Akari played through the levels. Soon the sun began to set, and Akari was stuck on a certain level involving bears.

Chinatsu giggled at Akari's frustration with the game, making the redhead blush lightly.

Whose cheeks then turned deep crimson as the redhead's stomach voiced its opinion.

Chinatsu giggled, feeling a bit hungry herself, and got up from the couch to make her way to the kitchen.

"Anything in particular you want?" Chinatsu asked from the other room.

Akari thought for a moment, then turned to reply. "Something with chicken!" the redhead called back.

Chinatsu nodded to herself, opening the freezer and pulling out a pack of frozen chicken tenders, already deciding to make something simple and easy. Humming to herself, she turned on the oven, washed her hands, and set to work on cutting up some vegetables to steam and preparing some rice.

One may be wondering why Akari was happy to allow her friend to cook, given the pinkette's tendencies to ruin anything she truly puts her heart into. However, Chinatsu had taken a real interest in cooking, and had taken quite a few classes, improving dramatically and finding true joy in the craft. It was no secret that Chinatsu desperately wanted to go to a culinary school after graduating.

So, as Chinatsu happily made dinner, Akari simply grew more and more frustrated at the bear level, getting bad results multiple times. She caught herself just as it was really getting to her, and put the controller down for a bit, walking to the kitchen to watch her best friend cook.

"Oh, are you done?" Chinatsu asked her friend as she walked in.

"Nah, just taking a break, that level is really getting under my skin…" Akari chuckled, rubbing her neck, embarrassed.

Chinatsu smiled as she returned to her task, chopping the vegetables into thin slices with a grace in her movement that had Akari enthralled. The redhead sat down at the other side of the kitchen island to watch, putting her head on her arms and watching the small show.

Chinatsu started humming again, a soft lively tune the two had heard in the car earlier that day. Akari looked up and cracked a smile at her friend's face and attitude, catching the pinkette's attention.

"What?" she tilted her head in curiosity.

"N-nothing, you just look so happy when you're cooking!" Akari said, blushing lightly from being caught staring at her crush. This earned a smile from Chinatsu as she resumed her cutting.

Soon everything was prepared and had been set on the stove, and the chicken had gone into the oven. Chinatsu sighed, sitting down to let the heat and steam do its work.

The two sat there, shooting meaningless, comfortable conversation between each other while their food cooked.

As one of the timers went off, Chinatsu put on an oven mitt and pulled the chicken from the oven, the breading having crisped up and taken a golden color. A few minutes later, and the other timers had gone off, Chinatsu turning the heat off of the burners that the vegetables and rice were on.

Slowly their meal was assembled, simple chicken and vegetables over rice with a bit of soy sauce over it. It was simple, but looked and smelled delicious. Chinatsu set the two bowls down on the counter, and handed Akari a pair of chopsticks, taking a pair for herself.

"Itadakimasu!" Akari chanted before digging in. Chinatsu waited to see her reaction before eating, satisfied when her redhead friend's face formed a wide smile.

The two ate quietly for a bit, simply enjoying their food and each other's company. Chinatsu felt a wave of contentment wash over her, a small part of her not wanting this moment of peace end. As she finished, she set her bowl and chopsticks down, a small frown on her face as a new train of thought hit her.

"N-ne, Akari-chan…" the pinkette mumbled, catching the attention of the still-eating redhead. "D-do you ever think about what your life will be?" she asked vaguely, not wanting to show her true thoughts just yet.

Akari swallowed before replying. "Well, hopefully I can find something I want to do, and stay close to everyone." She responded a bit childishly.

"W-what if one of us had to leave?" Chinatsu asked, now looking Akari dead in the eyes and fidgeting with something in her pocket.

Akari was slightly taken aback. "… I think I'd be kinda sad, but I know that one day I'll see them again. I'd make sure of it." The redhead answered, a determination in her eyes. Satisfied, Chinatsu pulled the small piece of paper out of her pocket.

"I know it's a little early, but…" Chinatsu started, holding the small envelope, "I applied to a culinary school in the UK. This came in the mail last week, and I've been too scared to open it…" Chinatsu explained. "If I got accepted, I… I don't know if I want to leave yet. I've been having so much fun with all of you that I don't know what I'd do if I did get accepted." She said, the frown on her face growing slightly.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a second set of hands grasped hers and the envelope. She looked up to see Akari with a grin on her face. "Then we'll find that out together!" Akari encouraged. A wave of relief set over Chinatsu, knowing that Akari would be supportive either way. The pinkette nodded, getting up from the table to grab a pair of scissors.

As she opened the envelope, nervousness crept up her spine. '_This is it, no going back._' She thought to herself as she pulled the slip of paper out. The paper felt heavy in her hands as she unfolded it.

"D-dear Ms. Yoshikawa… Thank you for your application. However, it is with a h-heavy heart and some regret that… we must reject. Your skills are admirable, and your passion is clear, however, we simply received letters from too many other qualified applicants this term…" Chinatsu read slowly, several emotions washing over her, but mostly relief as the nerves of opening the letter dissipated. She lowered the paper, a bittersweet smile on her face.

"Well, looks like I'll be staying with you guys for another year…" Chinatsu chuckled. Akari said nothing, only looking at Chinatsu with a concerned face. "Hey, I'll be ok! Now that I think on it, it's really a good thing that I don't go. I don't think I'm ready to leave Japan." Chinatsu explained, the smile on her face growing more sincere.

Sensing the shift in mood, Akari hugged her friend with a smile. Chinatsu dropped the paper and returned the hug, a few emotions surfacing that she couldn't quite label.

All of which were immediately cut down as a bright flash filled the room, killing the lights and the TV. Akari jumped and squeaked, gripping onto Chinatsu much harder. Seconds later, a large _boom_ shook the cabin. Chinatsu rubbed Akari's back comfortingly, reassuring her friend that she would be ok as she grabbed a flashlight.

Without a word between the two, Chinatsu slowly broke out of the hug and led Akari, clinging to the pinkette's arm, to the basement where the generator was, an exhaust vent going through a wall feeding to the outside. Chinatsu motioned to Akari to let go for a second, which she very reluctantly did. Chinatsu then pulled a cord and the generator flared to life, the lights flickering back on.

Instantly Akari felt better. She looked down at the floor with bright red cheeks, too embarrassed to say anything other than a quick "Sorry…"

"Hey, I told you it's ok." Chinatsu smiled at her friend, putting a supportive hand on her friend's shoulder. "Let's get back upstairs and get some hot chocolate, I bet that will cheer you up!" Chinatsu suggested, earning a small grin and a nod from Akari.

The two headed back up and made their drinks, enjoying the hot beverage as they walked to the couch.

Since Akari's game had reset, the two decided to watch a movie instead. As they looked through the collection, Chinatsu noticed that Akari was still looking a bit down, and the pinkette had a good feeling she knew why.

"Ne, Akari-chan," Chinatsu called, gaining her friend's attention, "I meant it earlier, that it's a good thing I'm not going. I think I'd rather stay with everyone, even if I did get accepted. I don't think I could leave you guys behind, especially since this is our last year of high school."

Akari smiled. "I know, Chinatsu-chan. It means a lot that you think that!" the redhead cheered. Her spirits lifted again, Akari turned back to her stack of movies.

It took a good while for the duo to decide on what to watch, but settled on an over-the-top comedy about an airplane that had to be landed by one of the passengers.

The two laughed at the absolutely ridiculous jokes within the film. 30 minutes in, the room lightly flashed, causing Akari to yip and slightly jump in place. Chinatsu chuckled lightly, and Akari blushed. The redhead looked away in embarrassment, only to catch her gaze on the window.

"Woah!" Akari exclaimed as she saw that the snow had already completely covered everything, and was still coming down at a lively pace.

Chinatsu looked over, her eyes getting a bit wider with concern, as this was looking to be an incredibly bad storm. Both soon returned their attention to the movie, attempting to hide their concern over the storm.

As the movie was ending, both girls were wiping tears of laughter from their eyes. They had forgotten about the storm, getting totally caught up in the absolute silliness of the film.

Both were caught off guard by a particularly close strike, rattling the windows and causing Akari to once again latch onto her pink-haired friend with a loud yelp. After regaining her composure, Akari chuckled at herself and at the look of surprise still present on Chinatsu's face.

After that, the two talked idly on the couch about a few things until Akari yawned, tired from the day's many events. They two decided to call it a night, and headed off to prepare for bed.

* * *

_Several Hours Later_

Akari had tried sleeping, but the storm had picked up quite a bit. Lightning was now happening more frequently, and the poor girl was shaking in her bed from her fear.

Eventually she'd had enough, seeking the comfort of her friend. She got out of her bed, exited the guest room, and found that Chinatsu's room still had its light on, signaling that the pinkette was still awake.

Knocking shakily on the door, Akari heard shuffling on the other side.

Chinatsu was met with a terrified looking Akari as she opened the door. With a look of concern, Chinatsu pulled Akari in for a hug. No words passed between them as Akari broke down, each flash of lightning or boom of thunder causing her to jump lightly.

"C'mon, let's sit you down and get you a blanket." Chinatsu said gently, leading her friend to the bed and throwing her blanket over their backs, the book she had been reading now entirely forgotten.

Eventually Akari settled down, and her breathing became more even as Chinatsu realized the redhead had fallen asleep. Gently, the pinkette set her friend down on the bed and made sure she was in a comfortable position, before grabbing a spare pillow and moving to the slightly oversized chair in the corner of the room. Getting settled in the chair, Chinatsu turned out the light and found herself quickly joining her friend.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, it certainly has been a while!

Apologies for taking so long with this chapter, a massive amount of things have happened over the last couple months.

Firstly, I've changed. I've gotten much more expressive with my emotions, especially in my writing. I wasn't happy with how dull certain moments seemed within my stories, and realized that I wasn't really feeling what my characters felt. I've taken some steps to try to express myself more through my writing, and then to allow my writing to express _it_self to me.

Second, as many of you know, I am an Alter: a manifestation of a separate personality within someone. The base personality, someone I consider family, has also changed.

Very recently, he discovered that he was actually genderfluid with a huge amount of help from someone very close to us. She's been a massive support in this time of self-discovery, and I decided not to interfere at all. I simply sat back and allowed them to figure everything out, staying in the background so they wouldn't have to worry about anything.

Now that everything's sorted, at least internally, I'm here to stay! I'll be writing more often again, finishing up some chapters that got left in the dust when everything started happening.

So buckle up, friends, we're going for a ride!

See you next time

-Melody


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